Falling For You: Love and Valentines Day

January 16, 2017April 26, 20173 Comments

Ready for Valentines Day? Here’s a little inspiration to get you going:

This worked so well with the TGIF Sketch Challenge this week:

Perhaps you don’t have one special person yet: Don’t fret! This could also be a wedding or anniversary card, just by switching out the greeting (also included in the stamp set) and it’s fun that there are matching sentiments for each greeting to put on the inside (or as a “tag line” under the flourishing font of the main greeting).

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Ready to create some unique decor for Valentine’s Day? Come to my Valentine Sampler Class on January 31st!

Warm Thanks (and Blog Candy)

November 6, 2013April 26, 20175 Comments

‘Tis the THANKS-GIVING season:

How adorably sweet is this “warm” gift of appreciation?

I’ve been looking forward to trying these new “Mugging” mixes from Shirley J and when I saw them at Macey’s today, I had to grab a few, along with this speckled Baked Brown Sugar mug. Add a few Stampin’ Up! supplies to decorate with~Tea Lace Paper Doilies (item 129399), A Round Array stamp set, 7/8″ and 1-1/4″ scallop circle punches (129404 and 127811), 7/16″ Natural Trim (129287), Baker’s Twine and some ink~ and you’ve got a quick gift!

The other sweet thing is that there are currently 8 flavors of Mugging Mixes:

Chocolate Brownie Cake
Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownie Cake
Old-Fashioned Yellow Cake and Cobbler
Country Style Cornbread
Pumpkin Spice Bread
Walnut Bread
Quiche in a Cup
No-Pan Pancake

All you have to do is add water, stir it up in a mug and microwave for less than 2 minutes!

I picked up two mixes and here’s today’s BLOG CANDY! The first person who guesses which two I bought will get ONE of the mixes and a package of doilies from Stampin’ Up! Make sure you leave your guess in the comments and check back to see the winner on November 15th 🙂

WENDY: You are the winner! Thanks for all your comments and I’m sorry to post the winner so late, but I had to transfer to a new computer 😛 Email me your address and I’ll send a Chocolate Brownie Cake and Pumpkin Spice Bread Mix to you!

Feeling Pink Today

June 25, 2013April 26, 20177 Comments

After a much needed vacation (where I pretty much did nothing and loved every moment of it), I’m back and have had a few fun minutes in my stamp room creating 🙂 Today I was feeling PINK, so I jumped into the Create with Connie & Mary challenge! Here’s sketch 257:

And here is my take on it:

Card Recipe (All Supplies from Stampin’ Up! ~ Order Here):

Stamps: Remembering Your Birthday
Ink: Pink Pirouette, Pistachio Pudding
Paper: Whisper White, Pink Pirouette and Pistachio Pudding card stock, Tea Lace Paper Doilies (129399)
Accessories: Big Shot (113439), Apothocary Accents Framelits (127003), Stripes Embossing Folder (123128) and Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder (117335), Decorative Label (120907) and Scallop Edge Border (119882) punches, White Organza Ribbon (114319) and Rhinestone Basic Jewels (119246).
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Sisters & Sunshine Jars

March 7, 2013April 26, 2017Leave a comment

These are my sweet sisters, Megan and Mindi:

Hard to believe, huh? Yes, we all have the same parents: But while they got the talents and looks (that beautiful dark skin!), I got the…well, I got the…

…okay, I got the great sisters!

They have been life-savers for me throughout my life (my interior designers, fashion consultants, reality-check, manicurists and wedding planners) and while we love each other more than life itself, sometimes we don’t always see eye to eye, which makes me love this quote:

“If you don’t understand how a woman could both love her sister dearly

and want to wring her neck at the same time,

then you were probably an only child.” ~Linda Sunshine

Remind me to tell you about the “Die a Virgin” incident….but I digress.

Last month was Mindi’s birthday and after all her hard work on the wedding, I wanted to do something really special for her. At a scrapbook retreat, my friend Jennifer F. shared an idea for a “Joy Jar” she made for one of her sisters and I ran with it:

That is the jar. Doesn’t it just bring a smile to your face? I like to think of it as a “Jar of Sunshine” Here’s the top:

Mindi doesn’t fully realize the amount of joy she brings into the lives of others, and I wanted her to get a little taste of what a blessing she has been in my life. And occasionally, the world seems a little dark to her and when she struggles against depression, this jar holds a few ideas of ways to let in the light 🙂

Inside the Sunshine Jar are envelopes with an opportunity to discover JOY:

Sometimes they are opportunities to serve, sometimes they are opportunities to play, occasioanally they are chances to grow and sometimes they are just FOR FUN! Once in a while there is a number on the card and it corresponds to a gift wrapped individually in a bag.

Because Mindi’s husband is the manager of a hotel and they travel ALOT, and never do they stay at less than a 4 star hotel…this luggage tag was one of my favorite coordinating gifts

(in case you can’t read it, it says “I’ll follow you to the ends of the earth…but not to Motel 6”)

Joy Jar Recipe:
All from Stampin’ Up! unless indicated by *asterisk. To order supplies to make your own, click HERE.

Stamps: Feel Goods (Spring Catalog pg 21) and Blue Ribbon (Catalog pg 33)
Ink: Tangerine Tango
Paper: Try Summer Smooches Designer Series Paper (item 125409) Card stock: Whisper White, Daffodil Delight
Etc: Paper Doilies (129399), Calypso Coral Baker’s Twine (122976), Punches: 1-3/8″ Circle (119860) and 1-3/4″ Scallop Circle (119854). Simply Scored Tool (122334) to make the rosette on front. Big Shot (113439) and Scallop Envelope Bigz Die (113462). Wide mouth jar and lid. Ribbon.
Optional: Iridescent Ice embossing powder (101930) and heat tool (129053)

Here are some ideas if you’d like to create your own Joy Jar/Jar of Sunshine, here are a few ideas of opportunities to include inside and as coordinating gifts (and BTW, Mindi, these aren’t necessarily in your jar):

Pay for someone’s order behind you at the drive-through restaurant (include $)
Blow Bubbles (wrap a jar of bubbles)
Read a book to a child
Try a new exercise (dvd, gym trial membership or workout clothing)
Take a flower to a friend just because
Crank up the music and DANCE!
Write 20 things to be happy for in a journal (wrap a new journal)
Listen to classical music for half an hour
Make a fruit smoothie in your blender
Take a drive alone. Park somewhere with a view and thank God for your eyes.
Bake cupcakes (wrap a cake mix, cute cupcake wrappers, frosting & sprinkles) and share some with a friend
Go on a picnic
Share your favorite scripture of JOY
Send a card to a friend
Take out the trash for your neighbor
Give them a reason to practice a talent: Do they paint? Wrap a paintbrush. Play an instrument? Give some music! Craft? Give them a Paper Pumpkin* subscription 🙂 *choose me as your demonstrator!
Plan a party for friends (Murder Mystery Dinner? Minute to Win It?)
Pop Pocorn and watch a movie (wrap popcorn)
Build a fort
Forgive someone
Clean out your purse
Get a pedicure (gift certificate or nail polish)

Help me build this list! I know there are other great ideas out there, so share them in the comments, please!

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Scrapbook Love

February 14, 2013April 26, 20172 Comments

I had the opportunity to create a page for my daughter’s church group and it was delightful to pause and reflect for a moment on how much joy she brings to our lives! She really is as beautiful as she looks, inside and outside.

Scrapbooking truly builds the self-esteem of children! I’ve watched my kids share their scrapbooks with friends so many times and they are so proud of every picture. They smile and laugh as they flip through each page. Sometimes they “remember” things they were too young to really recall, simply because it has been documented in their memory album. It makes the effort all worthwhile.

It is a work of love for me, too.

Page Recipe (all supplies from Stampin’ Up!):

More Amore Designer Series Paper (129309) and Champagne Glimmer Paper (127885)
Card stock: Real Red, Pool Party, Very Vanilla
Ink: Primrose Petals, Pool Party, Real Red
Paper Doilies (129399)
Typeset Alphabet Bigz Dies (127553), Labels Collection Framelits (125598) and Big Shot (113439)
Pretty Petites stamp set and Petite Curly Label Punch (Sale-a-Bration items: each FREE with $50 purchase)
Punches: Small heart (117193), 3/4″ circle (119873), 1″ circle (119868), Scallop Trim border (118402), Petite Pennants Builder (122361)
Baker’s Twine